Ultralight sea trials

Malcolm installed Hobie hatch for battery stowage below decks

A few days ago I got back to Malcolm’s shed and we finished installing the Ultralight kayak motor. While I’d been skiving off on a hiking trip to Wild Dog Mountains Malcolm had sourced a suitable hatch and installed that. The hatch is a Hobie accessory and is just the right size to take the battery and it has a waterproof seal and a good locking mechanism. It means the battery can be stowed below decks and its weight is as low as possible. Continue reading “Ultralight sea trials”

Blue Dog Ridge

A campfire beckons...

With gusty winds thrashing the trees and rain pelting on the windows I easily rolled over and snuggled under the doona, content to procrastinate getting up a little longer. The forecast of ‘rain clearing’ was fighting a losing battle against the lashing rain. Con and I had planned to leave at 7am for the hour’s drive into the Megalong Valley to start our two day hike into the Wild Dog Mountains. Continue reading “Blue Dog Ridge”

Ultralight installation continues

Bracket trimmed, painted, and attached to kayak

Over the past few days a little progress was made on the Ultralight installation. The bracket was trimmed and the spiky fibregleass edges covered with epoxy filler to make it comfortable to handle. The next day it was sanded and painted.  Today it was attached with screws and flexible adhesive. The first photo shows this stage – and the ball joint is positioned on the bracket where it is about to be bolted on. This ball joint is the main support for the ultralight arm – the arm also has a rubber pad which will just sit on the deck and provide an additional leverage point to give it extra support. Continue reading “Ultralight installation continues”